The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-10-22


but not for his cold silence. 'Speak, "
she cried ct last, passionately. speak!
Open your lips, if only to curse me!
Order in your men to arrest me, | will
proclaim myself guilty and save your
honor But only speakw
| ''May | ask said Nal Van Iandt
coldly, "why you have twice honored me
with blow"
Because loved you; because, when |
first saw you | saw the only man that
was my master, and | rebclled; because,
when | found | could not help but love
you, knew never had loved before, and
| | would wipe out with one stroke all the
past that rose in judgment against me;
because | would not have you ever con-
| fronted with one endearing word Of mine
| that was not meant for you.
Mai. Van Zandt turned from the win
dow where he stood, and faced the girl
with sad resignation. IF | have i'll my
| foolishness, Mistress Thankful, shown
you how great was your power over me,
when you descended to this artiice to
spare my feelings by confessing your own
| love for me, you should have remembered
that you were doing that which forever
kept me from wooing or winning you. II
you had really loved me, your heart, as a
woman's, would have warned you against
that which my heart, as n gentleman's,
has made n law of honor; when tell you,
as much for the sake Of relieving your
own conscience rs for the sake Of justify
ing mine, that If this man, a traitor, my
prisoner, and your recognized lover, had
escaped from my custody without your
assistance, connivance. or even knowl-
edge, | should have deemed it my duty to
forsake you until | caught him, even if
we had been standing before the altar"
Thankful heard him, but only as a
strange voice in the distance, as she stood
with fixed eyes and breathless, parted
lips before him. Yet even then / fear
that, womanlike, she did not comprehend
his rhetoric Of honor but only caught
here and there dull, benumbing idea
that he despised her, and that in her effort
to win his love she had killed it, and
ruined him forever.
"If you think it strange" continued the
major, "that, believing as ! do stand
here only to utter moral axioms when my
duty calls me to pursue your lover, beg
you to believe that it is only for your
sake. l wish to allow a reasonable time
between your interview with him and his
escape, that shall save you from any sus-
picion of completely. Do not think he
added with sad smile, as the girl made
an impatient step toward him, ''do not
think am running any risk. The man
cannot escape. A Gordon Of pickets sur
rounds the camp for many miles. He has
not the countersign, and his face and
crime are known"
eyes" said Thankful eagerly, 'but a
part of his own regiment guards the Bask-
ingridge road"
GLOW know you this?" said the major,
seizing her hand.
"He told me-"
Before she could fall on her knees and
beg his forgiveness he had darted from
the room, given an order, and returned
with cheeks and eyes blazing.
"Hear me-" he said rapidly, taking the
girls two hands, "you know not what
you've done. ! forgive you. But this is
no longer a matter Of duty, but my per-
sonal honor l shall pursue this man
alone. l shall return with him, or not at
all. Farewell. God bless your
But before he reached the door she
caught him again. "Only say you have
forgiven me once more.'
81 do"
"Guertr'
There was something in the girls voice,
more than this first utterance of his Chris
tan name that made him pause.
81 d--a-lie-just-now. There is a
fleeter horse in the stable than my mare;
tits the roam FLY in the second STALL"
"God bless your
He was gone She waited to hear the
clatter of his horses hoofs in the road
way. When Caesar came in few mo-
ments later, to tell the news Of Capt.
Brewster's escape, the room was empty;
but it was soon filled again by dozen
| turbulent troopers.
"Of course she's gone" said Sergt.
Tibbitts; "the jade few with the cap
| tain"
cay, tits plain enough. Two horses
are gone from the stable besides the ma
| jor's," said Private Hicks.
Nor was this military criticism entirely
q private one. When the courier arrived
| at headquarters the next morning, it was
| to bring the report that Mistress Thankful
Blossom, after assisting her lover to es-
cape, had fled with him. "The renegade
is well off our hands," said Gen. Sullivan
gruflly; che has saved us the public dis.
| grace of a trial. But this is bad news of
Maj Van Zandt."
"What news of the major?'' asked
Washington quickly.
''He pursued the vagabond as far as
Springfield, killing his horse, and falling
himself insensible before Maj Merton's
quarters. Here he became speedily deliri-
Gus, fever supervened, and the regimental
surgeon, after careful examination, pro-
nounced his case one of smallpox"
| A whisper of horror and pity went
around the ROOM. "Another gallant sol
tlier, who should have died leading q
charge, laid by the heels by q beggar's
filthy dstemper," growled Sullivan
'sWhere will it end?''
GOOD knows" said Hamilton. "Pool
Van Zandt! But whittier was he sent
to the hospitalY'
"No; "a special permitwas granted IN
his case; and It's said he was removed tc
the Blossom farm-it being remote from
neighbors-and the house placed under
quarantine. Abner Blossom has pru'
IDENTIFY absented himself from the chances
of infection, and the daughter has fled
The sick man is attended only by black
servant and an ancient crone; so that, II
the poor major escapes with his life OF
without Disagreement, pretty Mistress
Bolton, Of Morristown, need not be scan
| dalized or iealousn